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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23689312">Abide with Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/skam_stan/pseuds/skam_stan'>skam_stan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Druck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Trans Character, Depression, Friends to Lovers, I think this is gonna be rlly sweet I'm excited, M/M, Mutual Pining, Roommates to lovers, University AU, roommate au, soft, will probably just have a teen rating</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:15:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,389</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23689312</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/skam_stan/pseuds/skam_stan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The University is sending their students home for the semester, but with his mother in a psychiatric unit and his father in Italy, Matteo doesn’t have a home to go to. How can he manage to stay with his friend from class, David, and his sister without letting out his true feelings for David?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matteo Florenzi/David (Druck)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Invitation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For certain reasons I wanted to make Matteo a successful student, because he’s older now and is managing his depression. Also David is out as trans within the schools queer community so Matteo knows about that. Basically we will still have upsetting parent things, lives being turned well and truly upside down, and two idiots realizing they love each other.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The tiered seats in their University Writing lecture hall filled up slowly, as they did every day, and Matteo and David had been sat next to each other in the back for the past 20 minutes, as was their routine. They had started off as “class friends,” the type where you had their first name saved in your phone but are hoping to find out more about them, like their last name, for starters. Their friendship had been sealed when Matteo tried to subtly attend a pride mixer on campus and David had scoped him out and introduced him to a few other people there before stealing him for himself all evening.</p><p>Today, like every other day of the semester, Matteo was peeling a clementine and handing one half to David while David typed out a summary of last night’s reading at the speed of light so he could submit it online before their professor walked in.</p><p>“You know, if you and I did those together right after class you wouldn’t have to—”</p><p>David cut Matteo off with a kick to his leg and continued typing furiously.</p><p>“Nuh-uh,” David said. “That’s literally the only time I can hang out with you and I’m not spending it on some stupid summary assignment for our stupid gen-ed class.”</p><p>Matteo felt the corner of his mouth pull up into a smile. Between the film program students meeting up to shoot so frequently, David’s job at the campus coffee store, and the fact that David was secretary of the pride organization on campus, getting a spot on his schedule was a rare occasion. As far as Matteo knew, he was the only non-film program/campus organization/barista that David ever hung out with. That felt unreasonably good.</p><p>As for Matteo, he made a point of doing all his assignments pretty early on. The university administration gave him accommodations for his depression, but he didn’t want to seem like he was taking advantage of those. No, he did his schoolwork, went to office hours, went to therapy, and hung out with David during class three times a week, and for another blessed hour after that. While most of his friends from high school had gone off to different cities and even countries, Matteo was the only one left in Berlin. So add calling them to his to-do list and he had a perfectly rounded out schedule.</p><p> The perks of having a friend that was so busy with all of his shit meant that Matteo’s therapy appointment, medication assessments, and meetings with accommodation advisors could all go under the radar. If David weren’t already perfect…there was that.</p><p>Matteo nudged the fragrant clementine peel onto David’s desk, trying to reach it all the way to David’s keyboard in keeping with his theme of being a little shit. While he was on this mission, he noticed the people in the lecture hall had started a chatter that was slowly raising in volume. He and David looked at each other as if to say, “the fuck?”</p><p>With that, their professor walked in. She was a kind woman in her 30s who had them call her just “Engel” instead of Professor Schmidt. She looked stressed and ran a hand through her hair before motioning for the lecture hall to quiet down.</p><p>“I’m sure you just got the email from the University, they informed all of the professors last night. In-person instruction will be cancelled for the foreseeable future, and you are all to leave campus if possible. I know this is a stressful time, so I have decided to cancel lecture today to give you more time to plan your departure. It has been great teaching you in person and be on the lookout for more information from me about where we go from here.”</p><p>David turned his head to look at Matteo, who had his eyes fixed on the front of the room, shell shocked.</p><p>“Additionally, don’t worry about turning in today’s summary. Focus on your health, please.”</p><p>That snapped Matteo out of it enough to sock David on the arm and reach over to close him out of the document where he’d been struggling to finish the summary. With a grimace, David shoved everything into his backpack and he and Matteo got up to leave. Before they could get out the door, Engel called “Matteo Florenzi?”</p><p>Matteo whipped his head around and muttered at David to wait for him.</p><p>“Ah, Matteo. Listen, I know the University provides you with certain accommodations. Please just know that I will continue to honor those for you with this change in circumstances. Be well.”</p><p>Matteo nodded his head gratefully. After what a mess high school was, barely passing his abi, he wasn’t used to his instructors being so kind with his mental health condition.</p><p>“Thank you, Profes- Engel, it means a lot. You stay well, too.”</p><p>With that, Matteo scurried out to the hallway where David waited for him against the wall.</p><p>“What was that?” David asked.</p><p>Matteo was quick to lie, “she wanted to compliment me on the summaries I’d been handing in. Apparently, they’re a lot less shit when you don’t type them out right before class.”</p><p>David scrunched up his nose at this and Matteo’s chest clenched. What was he going to do if he couldn’t see David for the rest of the school year? This realization guided him toward a much more pressing matter – where was he going to go home to? He let out a small “fuck.”</p><p>“What’s the matter, don’t know what to do without a class to go to?” David asked, scrunching his eyebrows.</p><p>“No, no it’s just…just need to make a few calls, figure out where I’m headed for the rest of lockdown” Matteo sputtered out, searching for a reason to leave David and not wanting to waste his final day with him at the same time.</p><p>David grabbed his arm to get him moving and they were on the path toward the coffee shop where he worked. The gears in Matteo’s head were turning the whole time he ordered, and while David waited for their drinks, he pressed on the one contact on his phone he called as little as possible.</p><p>
  <strong>Papa</strong>
</p><p>On the third ring, he picked up. Matteo got right to the point.</p><p>“Papa, they’re closing down the school.”</p><p>Matteo could hear his father breathing on the other side of the line, he clearly didn’t know what to say.</p><p>“Well, you can’t come here,” is all his father managed to get out. It was a knife to Matteo’s chest. “There is the lockdown in Italy, and besides, Amara and I need to be homeschooling and feeding the boys. Four people is already a lot.”</p><p>“There is nothing you can do,” Matteo said, gritting his teeth, “no way you can help me out?”</p><p>“Stay with a friend. And don’t call your Mama. The ward called, she’s locked down and stressed enough as it is. I was going to call and tell you but—”</p><p>“Bye, Papa. You can’t even pass on some news so I don’t know why I expected you to help me out here.”</p><p>And with that, Matteo disconnected the call. He hadn’t even noticed that David had been standing there the past minute, drinks in hand. He simply grabbed his backpack, and turned to face David, struggling to keep composure.</p><p>“I have to go, I’m sorry, I’ll try to see you again before you leave—”</p><p>“It’s okay, Matteo,” David said, cutting him off with words so earnest that Matteo wanted to cry even more than he already felt like it. He passed him his drink, patted him on the shoulder, and said goodbye.</p><p>Matteo’s shoulder burned the whole walk back to his dorm. He was leaving school, his friend, his professors, and he had no fucking clue where he was going to go. As soon as he got back to his dorm, Matteo alternated between refreshing roommate requests on Craigslist and packing up all of his stuff.</p><p>He was so busy that he didn’t even notice that David had called him an hour after Matteo had run out on him and left a voicemail.</p><p>
  <em>Hey, Matteo. I don’t want to overstep but we’re friends, yeah? And I heard you on the phone and I wanted you to know that my sister has an apartment here in Berlin and she’s been wanting to meet you anyway and we have a futon and basically…you could stay with us. I want you to stay with us. Anyway, just let me know that you’re ok and staying somewhere safe, ok? Bye, man. </em>
</p><p>The voicemail made Matteo’s heart race, because he could practically feel how David’s heart had been racing when he left it. But surely that was just the stress of the situation, right? David had to move out of his dorm, too, and leave behind his job and organization and film buddies. He had it made here on campus, why would Matteo be what he brings with him in case of natural disaster?</p><p>Then there was the question of Matteo’s own feelings. He could manage seeing David in class and hanging out with him afterward but living with him for God knows how long would make him sure to slip up and admit something that ruined everything they had in their easy-going relationship. To see more of David would make Matteo have to think about the way he made Matteo’s cheeks flush and his head spin when he talked about movies or his workout regimen or…anything really. Matteo spun around back and forth between his two packed up suitcases before he grabbed his phone and called David and started an audio message.</p><p>
  <em>Hey David. Thank you. We can figure out how I’ll pay you and Laura, I can cook and make a lot of homemade stuff and can help you with class and clean and stuff and basically…thank you for inviting me into your home. My answer is yes. What time do we leave? </em>
</p><p>And with that, Matteo sent the audio message and flopped down onto his bed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Move-In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Matteo moves into Laura's apartment and learns more and more about David. Unfortunately for Matteo, that means falling even harder for him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Two chapters in a night because I'm feeling nice</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Matteo. Yes! No worries about money or cleaning or cooking – actually cooking would be good, Laura only knows like 8 recipes – but no worries. Meet me outside my residence hall at 10:00? Laura’s place is just a 10 minute walk, if you can do that with all your stuff.</em>
</p><p>Matteo fired back with a picture of himself giving a thumbs up with a huge and cheesy smile. Before he could chicken out of sending it, his finger moved of its own accord. David responded with a matching selfie.</p><p>
  <strong>See you tomorrow!</strong>
</p><p>Matteo put his phone face down, as if he would stop blushing if he just smooshed his face into his pillow aggressively enough. Tomorrow he would head out with his two suitcases and backpack and walk with David to his sister’s apartment and see what he was like early in the morning and have enough time to watch movies with him and let him try all of his cooking. His head went overdrive with thinking about living in a place that smelled of David, seeing how he was with his siter, seeing his hair wet after—quit it Matteo.</p><p>He grounded himself by grabbing a fistful of the comforter. David is his friend, but David hangs out with film students and baristas and people who can say that they’re queer without overthinking the fate of their soul. David letting Matteo live with him is an act of <em>friendship.</em></p><p>With that thought firmly in his head, Matteo drifted off to sleep.</p><p>The next morning, Matteo took one final look at his dorm room. It somehow looked even emptier than when he had moved in, but he had lived there close to nine months now, and could keenly remember the excitement of actually having a little place that was his own, even if the university owned it. No one there yelled at him, he could take his depressive episodes in stride, he even felt good enough to pin up a little gay pride flag at one point. Matteo wrangled his suitcases, flicked off the lights, and said goodbye to his temporary home.</p><p>David looked chipper, which he always did in the mornings. Matteo swore he was a bottomless pit of energy. Before David could even greet him, Matteo started in with his litany of thanks.</p><p>“David, thank you so much for—”</p><p>“Nope! Nope nope! Don’t thank me. Laura and I are happy to have you. In fact, you might keep us from killing each other in a sibling blood feud. I should be thanking <em>you</em>.”</p><p>Matteo grinned at this, and at the fact that David had anticipated his gratitude speech. They started heading down the block, luggage in tow. The streets were almost silent, with only fellow displaced college students or panicked grocery shoppers moving around.</p><p>“What’s Laura like?” Matteo asked. David laughed a little, as if realizing that Matteo hadn’t even met her.</p><p>“She’s great. I’m kidding about the fighting thing; we really love each other a lot. She took me in when—well basically she’s just great. Super feisty and has terrible luck with women, but if I like you, she’ll like you.”</p><p>This verbal confirmation of the fact that David liked him was almost too much for Matteo, and he tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.</p><p>“You gonna make it?” David asked, shooting a grin Matteo’s way. Matteo landed a kick onto David’s suitcase in protest and they continue to roll along with their bags, chatting about how their classes would transfer to online and all the different recipes Matteo knew.</p><p>“I’ve always wanted to try arancini, you can do that?” David asked, incredulously. Matteo told him about making them on his grandmother’s farm, and promised they’d be eating lots of Italian recipes. Before Matteo even knew it, they had arrived at a run-down block of apartments. David began hauling his bags up two flights, and they reached a door covered in graffiti and chipped paint. Ah, Berlin.</p><p>Before David could even knock, the door was swung open wide. There was Laura, a good few inches taller than David, but otherwise, with the same warm skin and deep brown eyes. Her hair was curly and wild, held back by a bright red bandana.</p><p>Before David could even speak, she pulled him into a tight hug. Once he released himself, he gestured back to Matteo.</p><p>“Laura, this is Matteo, Matteo this is my sister Laura.”</p><p>Matteo didn’t quite know what to do, so he held out his hand for her to shake it.</p><p>“Are you a hugger?” Laura asked. Matteo nodded softly and she pulled him for a brief hug. He felt the sisterly warmth, and if Matteo had been able to see her face, he would have seen the wide grin on her face after finally meeting the boy David couldn’t stop texting her about.</p><p>“Listen, I know everything with school being moved online is a lot but, welcome to our apartment! The futon in the living room is for you but there’s space in the hallway closet for your stuff. And like…whatever food you need is all yours. We’re stocked up.”</p><p>Matteo was speechless and on the brink of combusting with gratefulness before David grabbed his arm and led him into his room.</p><p>“Let’s unpack!”</p><p>Matteo blinked at David’s walls. David had given him a couple of sketches this past semester, one of the two of them dressed as Santa and an elf before Christmas break, and another he had slipped to him of them both at the dining hall, with the suggestion “lunch?” written on the other side. But David’s walls were absolutely covered with his drawings. Some were sketches like the ones he had slipped Matteo and others were more fleshed out, and Matteo could tell they had taken longer.</p><p>“I didn’t know you drew so much. They’re really cool,” he managed to get out. He spent some time looking at the rest, and David began chucking things into drawers. Once Matteo got it together, they unpacked David pretty quickly and began stacking Matteo’s ratty tee shirts into the closet in their hallway.</p><p>“You own a belt? Your pants are always halfway down your ass,” David said incredulously as he pulled it out of Matteo’s suitcase. Matteo shoved him aside and snatched it out of his hands.  </p><p>“You looking at my ass, Schreibner?”</p><p>David blinked at him. Matteo was frozen. Had he just flirted? Out loud?</p><p>Before he could backtrack, David wheezed and punched his arm before heading down the hallway.</p><p>“Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”</p><p>Like most apartments in Berlin, it was nowhere near as shitty as its exterior would leave one to believe. The living room was neat and had lots of plants, the kitchen was well stocked and had plenty of light shining in, and Laura had placed little touches all around, like incense and dried flowers. Some of David’s art even had designated spots on shelves, along with pictures of the two of them. Matteo couldn’t wipe the smile from his face, he felt so lucky to have been invited into this place.</p><p>After the better half of the day was spent with David giving an overly specific tour (“this is where Laura threw up strawberry wine,” “this is where I turned all of our laundry green”), they settled down for dinner, which was some delicious combination of lentils in a green sauce put onto a flatbread.</p><p>Matteo learned that it was one of Laura’s specialties, and had learned so much more about the Schreibner's today that he was blown away that he had been sitting by David for the better half of the year and never found out so much. Still, it all fit together so well. It wasn’t like David was <em>different</em> at home than Matteo expected, it was just that Matteo was getting so much <em>more</em> of him. He chewed on his dinner, deep in thought.</p><p>“…Matteo?”</p><p>Matteo whipped his head to Laura.</p><p>“Shit. Sorry, I spaced. Big day.”</p><p>“All good! I was just telling you about the setup in the living room. Of course, before we fold out your bed, we can always do a movie night?”</p><p>Matteo groaned and David’s eyes sparkled.</p><p>“I get to pick,” David said, decidedly. “If either of you pick, we’ll end up watching something shitty. And no one wants to start a lockdown like that.”</p><p>David chose <em>The Farewell</em>, and Matteo had to work hard to hold back his tears as the story unfolded. He didn’t want to totally freak Laura and David out by being an emotional wreck on his first night there. Before tears threatened to spill at the end of the movie, he whacked his head onto David’s shoulder.</p><p>“That was cruel of you,” Matteo said. David simply patted his head and let him stay there. They were lifted out of their reverie when Laura shot up and said, in one quick breath,</p><p>“Ok-Matteo-so-nice-to-meet-you-good-night-see-you-tomorrow-David-I’m-glad-you’re-back-don’t-stay-up-too-late-I’ll-make-breakfast-tomorrow!”</p><p>And with that, she darted out of the room.</p><p>David also stood up quickly.</p><p>“There are pillows under the futon, and the lamp is over there,” he stammered.</p><p>Matteo looked. The lamp certainly was over there. David sat back down again.</p><p>“I’m really glad you’re here, Matteo. I’m going to bed, ok?”</p><p>Matteo nodded slowly, uncertain of what had just happened, and why David was in such a rush to leave him be.</p><p>“Goodnight, David.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Matteo.”</p><p>Matteo fell asleep so quickly on the Schreibner's cozy futon that he didn’t even hear Laura and David talking back in forth in quiet voices, or hear David quietly pad back into the living room to see him one more time before he went to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please comment if you like it so far! And I'm still editing the next few chapters so post suggestions :) stay safe and healthy</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sitting By You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>David and Matteo start their classes in quarantine, and Matteo finds that as he learns more and more about David, it's only fair David learns more about him, too.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much to everyone who has commented! Here is chapter 3 :) before we know it they'll actually talk about their feelings. Stay safe and healthy! Chapter 4 will update tomorrow night.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weekend passed in easy fashion. They went on small walks outside while they were still allowed, and Matteo cooked while David sat at the counter and watched him. Laura was determined that they would have a healthy quarantine, so she even roped the boys into some Latin dance workout routine.</p><p>Sunday evening, the collapsed onto the floor after another round of dancing with Laura.</p><p>“Ugh, we maybe shouldn’t have done that after eating so much pasta,” David groaned, collapsing into giggles when Matteo groaned in response.</p><p>“Laura, if we’re going to keep doing these, we’re going to need to do them before dinner,” Matteo managed to get out. Laura, however, was doing fine.</p><p>“You’re both weak! I could do another. But I won’t because I need to set up my desk so I can actually start doing work again tomorrow.”</p><p>Matteo and David both realized that it was Sunday, and that classes would start up again tomorrow. It had been such a great weekend, they almost felt like they’d been on vacation together. David sighed and helped Matteo up off of the couch.</p><p>“Movie in my room?”</p><p>“Yup, beat you there!”</p><p>Matteo darted down the hall, but David grabbed his waist and flung him back. They scrambled their way into David’s room until they both stood in the center, out of breath and looking at each other.</p><p>“I won,” David said decidedly. “So, I get to pick.”</p><p>Matteo rolled his eyes, because David would have picked anyway. The only movies Matteo ever watched were superhero blockbusters and shitty American comedies. They settled onto David’s bed with his laptop between their legs. Matteo almost let out a sigh of relief when he realized this meant they would always have to stay a laptop apart, and he wouldn’t be able to move closer no matter how much he was tempted to.</p><p>But the day of walking, cooking, and dancing had taken its toll on Matteo, and he was drifting off before all the characters in whatever French film David had put on could be introduced. It came on him so quickly that he didn’t even process that he had nestled into David’s side as he fell asleep.</p><p>***</p><p>It wasn’t unusual for Matteo to wake up in the middle of the night. What <em>was </em>unusual was for him to wake up in the middle of the night in another boy’s bed, with just a laptop’s distance of space between them.</p><p>He and David were both on their sides and facing each other, and in the soft light of David’s bedroom he could really take a moment to look closely at David. His eyelashes were settled gently on his cheeks, and his plump lips were slightly smooshed into his pillow. Matteo had to resist the urge to touch his thick curly hair or run a finger down the bridge of his nose.</p><p>He softly turned onto his back and devised a plan of action. David is his friend. David is his roommate. You don’t wake up in the same bed as your friend or your roommate. I mean, aside from the fact that Matteo just had.</p><p>Before his feelings won out, Matteo quietly rolled off of the bed and snuck out to lay on his makeshift bed in the living room. If he went to sleep there, maybe David wouldn’t even remember that they had been sleeping just a foot apart for a few hours.</p><p>***</p><p>Matteo woke up to see David in the corner of the living room, fiddling with furnace. It was supposed to be colder today, so they were lucky that their classes would keep them indoors today. David turned toward Matteo when he heard him stir and Matteo practically froze when he remembered last night. David only smiled at him, like every morning. That told Matteo absolutely nothing.</p><p>“What, did you break it?” Matteo quipped.</p><p>David grabbed a pillow from the floor and threw it square in Matteo’s chest.</p><p>“No, for your information. We can’t all be skilled homemakers the way you are. Some of us are handymen,” David said, flexing the arm that was holding a screwdriver.</p><p>“Speaking of, handyman, what would you like for breakfast? We have class in 30.”</p><p>“Oatmeal?”</p><p>Matteo nodded and headed to the kitchen to set to work. Before long, he had three bowls of oatmeal ready. He grabbed a clementine for good measure.</p><p>After giving Laura her breakfast, Matteo found that David had set up his laptop on the living room table.</p><p>“I thought since we had writing together, we could just be in the same room for class?”</p><p>Matteo grinned, and let out a soft “sounds good” before setting down their breakfast. Their schedule felt comfortingly familiar as different faces appeared on the virtual classroom while Matteo and David sat by each other, like they always did. Matteo passed David half of the clementine.</p><p>Before they knew it, class had ended. Matteo had expected that David would scurry off to his own desk in his own room, but the two stayed there, on the same couch but tuned into separate classes. When David was at a stopping point, he set his computer aside.</p><p>“I’m always so busy during the day…it’s really nice having technically every class with you instead of my normal crowd.”</p><p>Matteo furrowed his brows. “I thought you loved everyone in the film program?”</p><p>David shook his head.</p><p>“I mean, they’re cool but I have to try really hard around them all the time. If you don’t like the right movies or have the right ideas, they’re not so easy to be around. Same goes for the people in the campus pride group, I guess. I’d rather just hang out with you.”</p><p>Matteo nodded slowly and closed his own laptop. It was silent, but not necessarily uncomfortable. He felt like he needed to say something.</p><p>“I don’t really hang out with people during the day,” Matteo said softly. “I mean, not college people. Listen, remember that week I missed class?”</p><p>David nodded in confirmation.</p><p>“I was just in my dorm room, super bum—I mean not bummed, I, I’m clinically depressed, David. So that’s why I missed that week. And every other second that I’m on campus, I’m meeting with administration about accommodations for my depression or going to therapy or keeping my life as normal as possible to try to keep my head afloat. That’s what Engel wanted to talk about. That’s why I’ve only ever gone to one pride meeting. And that’s why, even if you’re free to hang, and I want to, I can’t.”</p><p>David was silent for a moment before he said, “and are you doing okay…right now? And is there anything better I could be doing?”</p><p>Matteo let out a huge exhale and smiled. Of <em>course</em> David was concerned with his wellbeing and had said the most perfect and amazing thing. Of course.</p><p>“Well this weekend I realized that everything’s a lot better when you’re with friends instead of just meeting with doctors and deans and therapist. So don’t worry, David, I’m doing well. I just felt like you should know why I’m never around at school. And if I have a depressive episode while I’m staying with you and Laura, I wanted to explain before we got too deep in the woods. But being here with you makes me so happy.”</p><p>Before Matteo could even begin to feel embarrassed about telling David so much, David had pulled him into a firm hug. They stayed like that on the couch for a while and Matteo let himself melt into David’s arms. When they pulled apart, David set his hand on Matteo’s shoulder.</p><p>“Should I round up Laura for a dance workout?”</p><p>Matteo agreed, and was fortunately left alone for a minute to get his heart rate down after being pressed so close to David had made it shoot sky-high.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. His name is David</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Matteo and David realize some things</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok so this one went a bit longer than I thought it would! Mayhaps this will be 6 parts instead of 5...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Matteo decided he really didn’t mind online school. It meant sitting by David for hours on end and not having to stare his professor straight in the eye when he had to explain he just didn’t understand something. By the second week, their writing professor had given up on online lecture and assigned them group projects. He and David had been put with some guy named Noah, and they both agreed that they’d never seen him in class before.</p><p>Laura had made shakshuka, and they finished scooping up the last of it before getting ready to video call Noah to work out their project.</p><p>“I bet he’s a footballer or some shit,” David muttered. “I swear this dude has never been called on before.”</p><p>Instead of calling on both of their computers, they just sat side by side in front of David’s and connected into their virtual meeting room. Within seconds, a scrappy looking first year showed up. He was in a gamer chair and looked like he had been staring at a computer screen for days.</p><p>“Uh, na?”</p><p>Noah’s screen froze for a second before he greeted them.</p><p>“Hello, this is Noah…wait are you two- fuck of course I get paired with a couple, I third wheel even on group projects—”</p><p>David and Matteo sat still, stunned.</p><p>“I’m not homophobic, don’t worry, shit! Just a loser. Anyway. I sit a few rows behind you two.”</p><p>David launched right into conversation about what their group essay would cover and sent out a shared document for them to work on. Matteo didn’t hear any of it, just stared at the screen and felt he had been laid absolutely bare. After David steered them through a plan of attack, they disconnected the call. David turned to look at Matteo, but Matteo was already up and grabbing his jacket.</p><p>“M’going for a walk,” he just barely managed to say. Matteo felt like throwing up. Why didn’t he correct Noah when he had the chance? Why did he let David go forward without clearing the air first? He turned frantically on his heel, not covering very much ground and really just pacing back and forth. He squeezed his eyes shut firmly and held the cuffs of his jacket in tight fists. Matteo barely registered the sound of a door slamming before he paced directly into someone’s chest.</p><p>He opened his eyes to see David in front of him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes looked frantic.</p><p>“Matteo, are you okay?”</p><p>“Why did he—why would Noah—why did he think we were--” Matteo had to squeeze his eyes shut again to think.</p><p>“Would that really be so horrible?” David asked weakly, as if he were afraid of the answer.</p><p>Matteo let go of the cuffs of his jacket and slowly opened his eyes.</p><p>“Would…what,” he asked carefully.</p><p>“You being my boyfriend, Matteo.”</p><p>And god, there was force behind that sentence. David said it like his heart would stop if Matteo turned away, like he would have absolutely nothing left to work for if David confirmed his fears.</p><p>“I want to,” Matteo said. And it was so quiet, just above a whisper. He managed to look David in his eyes. “I want to be your boyfriend.”</p><p>He took a step forward so that his face was just inches away from David’s, their eyes locked together. At this distance, David could see the tears in Matteo’s eyes, now threatening to spill out of desperation. David put a hand on his shoulder to pull him in, and at long last, they were kissing. Kissing David was everything Matteo needed it to be. His mouth was warm and tasted of clementine, and Matteo let his hand come up to cup David’s soft cheek. They were pulling each other closer, letting themselves melt into each other as Matteo kissed and let himself be kissed.</p><p>David pulled back and held Matteo’s face, and implored, “say it again.”</p><p>Matteo whined and stole a small kiss before he leaned in close to David’s ear and said, “I want to be your boyfriend, David.”</p><p>They weren’t supposed to stay outside for very long, so David dragged Matteo up the stairwell and back into Laura’s apartment. When they burst in, flush and holding hands, Laura was sitting at the kitchen counter.</p><p>“Finally,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. “Thought I was going to have to intervene.”</p><p>Matteo buried his head into David’s shoulder in embarrassment. Laura even knew?</p><p>David shot her a look and she floated off into her bedroom. With any luck, the two could be alone until dinner.</p><p>“When did you know?” David asked.</p><p>They were lying in opposite directions, running their hands through each other’s hair and kissing slowly. Matteo hummed and sat up, turning himself so he could lay on David’s chest.</p><p>“When you sat next to me on that first day I was afraid to even look at you, I liked you so much. It’s cause I had seen you before then, at the club fair, passing out pride stuff. You seemed so confident.”</p><p> David planted two kisses onto his check and worked his way to Matteo’s lips.</p><p>“What about you?” Matteo asked.</p><p>David blushed.</p><p>“I had drawn you before. You kept skirting your way around our table, I thought you were going to talk to one of us, but when you didn’t,” David shrugged. “I couldn’t get you out of my head.”</p><p>Matteo nestled his head deeper into David’s chest.</p><p>“I’m sure in some parallel universe, we were brave enough to talk to each other the first time we saw each other,” Matteo said. David laughed and ran his hand up Matteo’s arm, interlocking their fingers.</p><p>“What does it say about us that we got the parallel universe where it takes a pandemic for us to meet, huh? So dysfunctional we need a natural disaster?”</p><p>Matteo lifted himself up to kiss David deeper, as if making up for lost time.</p><p>They stayed in David’s room until dinner, when Laura beckoned them out with the smell of herbs and garlic. They sat much closer together than most nights, and Laura couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she saw that David was wearing one of Matteo’s patterned sweaters.</p><p>“I don’t want to play Mom and Dad right now, so don’t make me,” Laura said. “Just…be safe or whatever.”</p><p>Matteo wondered silently about David and Laura’s parents, as he had a few times before. He didn’t want to get them into any trouble by being here and being David’s boyfriend, and he admitted as much. David and Laura both let out huge exhales.</p><p>“Listen, Matteo, they’d rather just throw money at us to pay for housing and food in order to gloss over their inability to actually love their children, so don’t worry about it. They pay, we live in peace, they don’t know anything and don’t have to feel like failed parents. Perfect.”</p><p>David pointed his fork at Laura in agreement.</p><p>Matteo nodded, suddenly understanding their whole setup. It sounded a lot like his own father, who simply sent in payments to the university and to Mama’s psych unit and left them to deal with the rest.</p><p>“I think I’d like to tell my mother where I am. I think she deserves to know.”</p><p>“We can call her after dinner, sound good?” David said while he rubbed Matteo’s back.</p><p>They ate happily, already planning the next week of quarantine activities, before David let out a “fuck” while he had a mouthful of bread.</p><p>“We totally left Noah hanging on that assignment,” he said, once he had swallowed his mouthful. “Man, no wonder he hates couples.”</p><p>They darted to the living room and opened the document to see that Noah had already done most of the work and left a comment in the bottom right hand corner of the document.</p><p>
  <em>Hey guys hopefully this is good! Sorry if I made things weird today.</em>
</p><p>Matteo and David collapsed in laughter on the couch. This poor dude had no idea how not-weird he made things today. How absolutely perfect things had turned out after their call. They typed out the last few additions to the paper and David leaned over to kiss Matteo gently before turning it in.</p><p>“We’re good partners,” he said. “Want to call your mama now?”</p><p>Matteo nodded and got out his phone.</p><p>
  <strong>Mama</strong>
</p><p>“Hello, Mama?”</p><p>
  <em>Matteo, are you okay? Are you sick?</em>
</p><p>“No, no, I’m okay. The University is closed now, Mama. I’m staying with someone.”</p><p>
  <em>Your father…?</em>
</p><p>“Not Papa. I have a boyfriend, Mama. His name is David and he’s given me a home.”</p><p>
  <em>Oh, Matteo. That’s wonderful. I love you so much, my boy, I am so happy for you. I will see you soon? </em>
</p><p>“Yes, once we can. I love you.”</p><p>
  <em>I love you too, my Matteo. I would like to meet your David, too. </em>
</p><p>Matteo hadn’t even noticed that he had started crying tears of relief until he hung up the phone. But David was there, already wiping the tears away and pulling him into his chest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Coming next: sleeping arrangements, the future, and some experimentation. Poor Laura.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Matteo Florenzi. How many times were we this close to figuring it all out.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I tried to do smut but I was just finding that I really wasn't comfortable with it. If that's what you're into then let your imagination run wild! This is mainly fluff but it's clear where they're headed. <br/>Anyway. I love their love.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Matteo pulled himself off of where he had been nestled into David’s chest for the past 15 minutes and smiled.</p><p>“Thank you,” he said. “For being here for that.”</p><p>David brushed Matteo’s hair off of his forehead and sought out his hand to hold in his.</p><p>“Don’t thank me,” he said, shaking his head. He leaned in close to Matteo’s ear and whispered, “that’s what boyfriends do.”</p><p>He and David had only been together as boyfriends for a day but hearing that felt so right. In an attempt to distract David from the rising heat on his face, he suggested they watch a movie. Matteo wasn’t blind to the fact that he was also trying to distract himself from the heat pooling in his belly, the tingling in his skin that demanded he get closer, closer, closer to David. Matteo took in deep breaths as they walked to David’s bedroom. He had never kissed a boy before today, let alone touch one intimately. And he especially had never let another boy touch him like that.</p><p>David started up a movie like every other night, but instead of a laptop’s distance, Matteo was curled into David’s side and their hands were interlocked. Within 10 minutes of the movie, David paused it suddenly.</p><p>Matteo looked up, confused.</p><p>“Can I ask you something?”</p><p>Matteo nodded. His first instinct was to let his head run wild with worry, but this was David.</p><p>“That night you fell asleep in my bed, I thought I’d wake up with you, too. But you were back in the living. Did I do something…did being in here with me…upset you?”</p><p>Matteo let his forehead fall onto David’s chest. Of course David remembered that.</p><p>“Was tryna be straight,” Matteo mumbled into David’s shirt.</p><p>David gently lifted his boyfriend’s head up so that he could hear him and look at him.</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>“I was trying to think like a straight bro friend. I didn’t think you liked me like that, I didn’t want to weird you out,” Matteo admitted.</p><p>David pulled him in for a short, rough kiss.</p><p>“Matteo Florenzi. How many times were we <em>this</em> close to figuring it all out.”</p><p>“Hm,” Matteo said, nestling back into David’s side. “Doesn’t matter now, I have you. And you have me.”</p><p>David unpaused the movie but couldn’t resist speaking over it one minute later.</p><p>“If you want to sleep here with me, that’s what I want. The thought of you on the couch when you could be here with me…it’s your choice. I don’t want to pressure you.”</p><p>This time, it was Matteo that paused the movie. They were never going to finish it at the rate they were going.</p><p>“I thought we were straight bro friends? That sounds a little gay, David,” Matteo said, grinning the whole time. “What would you do, like, tenderly kiss me all over and we’d wake up smiling and tangled together?”</p><p>David socked Matteo in the arm. But it was nice, the fact that they could still joke like this. Matteo hoped that David caught his meaning when it came to the tender kisses, and the cuddling, and waking up together.</p><p>David showed him that he certainly did understand Matteo, because within moments of whacking him, he closed his laptop and set it onto the bedside table. He maneuvered so that he was over Matteo, hands on both sides of his head.</p><p>“I’ve never…I’m nervous David,” Matteo whispered.</p><p>“Me too,” David replied, lowering himself so that he could press a soft kiss to Matteo’s lips. Matteo deepened it, pulling David closer to him. “Maybe tonight we can just show each other what we like?”</p><p>Matteo nodded and slipped a hand under David’s shirt. David took the hint and took his off, and Matteo pulled his off, too. They did the same with their pants, and after some fumbling, they were both just in boxers.</p><p>Matteo took in David, his muscular arms and legs and olive chest. He felt his eyes linger on David’s top surgery scars, and David gently grabbed Matteo’s hands and brought them up to his chest.</p><p>“You’re allowed to touch, it’s okay. It’s been a couple years now.”</p><p>Matteo leant in and kissed across his boyfriend’s chest. In turn, David pressed kisses into Matteo’s soft belly, making his way down to Matteo’s boxers.</p><p>“Is this okay?”</p><p>Matteo nodded. Anything was okay if David was leading him through it.  </p><p>That night, he and David moved at their own pace. Showed each other what they liked, made each other laugh. Their friendship had made sense, but to Matteo, their relationship as lovers already felt like the universe had ordained it.</p><p>***</p><p>Once again, he and David were sleeping in the same bed. This time, Matteo didn’t feel the need to run. In fact, this time, Matteo pulled David in closer to him. He couldn’t tell where he stopped and David began.</p><p>“What do you want to do when all of this is over?” David asked while he absentmindedly ran his fingers up and down Matteo’s side.</p><p>“Is it bad I was so preoccupied with my new boyfriend that I forgot there was a pandemic going on?”</p><p>David snorted, but persisted.</p><p>“Answer the question, Florenzi.”</p><p>“Well if school opens back up, I guess I’ll move back into the dorms. Just keep going to classes. But obviously I want to see you more than we did before. And…this is corny…”</p><p>David poked Matteo’s tummy until Matteo relented.</p><p>“I want to take you on dates. Proper dates, like at the coffeeshop when you have a day off or at the movies. With none of you film friends around so I can kiss you during all of the pretentious and important parts.”</p><p>“Mmm, that sounds good. Would you cook for us? As a date night?”</p><p>Matteo grabbed a chunk of David’s hair and pulled.</p><p>“I already cook dinner for you, have I already spoiled my boyfriend beyond repair?”</p><p>David couldn’t help but pull him in for another kiss. Of course they were play-fighting and joking within hours of seeing each other naked.</p><p>“I brought it up because the whole semester might get cancelled and I wondered if…you could just stay here with me and Laura? Even through the summer?”</p><p>And what could Matteo say to that, aside from kiss his boyfriend breathless?</p><p>“However this all unfolds, no matter how long we need to stay inside, I just want to be with you. Thank you, David, for giving me a home. In so many more ways than just inviting me to your apartment.”</p><p>“What are straight bro friends for?” David said, kissing Matteo’s forehead. “Now,” he said, sucking out a breath, “let’s-go-to-bed-before-I-tell-you-I-already-love-you-when-it’s-way-too soon-and-yet-somehow-not-because-every-day-I’ve-known-you-I’ve-been-so-gone-for-you.”</p><p>David let those words out in one quick rush of air, like his sister had the night she fled the living room to leave them together. He scrunched his eyes shut.</p><p>Matteo brought his hand to David’s cheek, waiting for him to open his eyes. David did, slowly, as if he was scared to see that Matteo had left the bed already.</p><p>“David, I love you, too.”</p><p>They kissed each other softly but with an urgency, the way two people who have just been brave enough to tell each other they’re in love kiss. They drifted off to sleep like that, Matteo and David, tangled up with each other. More than friends, and more than just boyfriends. They each fell asleep feeling entirely loved and known by the other.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I leave you with that, my loves! Please let me know what you thought of the series! I really want to know if people liked it, because then I'll work on more writing while I'm stuck at home. So if you liked something in particular or just want more like this, let me know! Stay safe and healthy.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Don't mind me coping from being home from college by sending Matteo and David away from college. The Davenzi tag has been dry as hell and I am HERE. Stay safe and healthy, folks. Also please comment :) it can give me ideas of edits for future chapters and also gives me Serotonin lol</p></blockquote></div></div>
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